Boyle Heights crash that amputated 13-year-old's leg reignites efforts for speeding ticket cameras
It was on Boyle Heights' Whittier Boulevard where a security camera captured the moments a 29-year-old motorcyclist sped away from a horrific crash that claimed the leg of a 13-year-old boy.
"I was in shock," said victim Josh Mora. "I know that detectives put a lot of work into finding its guy for me. Detective, he told us that he wouldn't sleep or eat just to find this guy."
Detectives found their suspect in the case, Erwin Majano, two weeks after the collision. And while they found the guy they believed crashed into Mora, Los Angeles detectives are pleading with people to slow down. Most importantly, they asked that if you do hit someone, do the most basic thing and stop.
"Please have these conversations," said an LAPD detective. "It's not just the moral imperative of remaining. It's the law."
It's a hit-and-run like Mora's case, and countless others across Southern California and the state, that prompted state lawmakers to introduce legislation that would allow the installation of traffic safety cameras on dangerous roads. Burbank Assemblymember Laura Friedman co-sponsored the bill.
"This is the third year in a row that I've authored a bill about speed enforcement," said Friedman. "And the reason is because speed is a factor in about 31% of all pedestrian fatalities. And we are seeing a dramatic increase in injuries and deaths to cyclists and pedestrians."
At first, the proposed cameras would issue speeding drivers a warning. After that, offenders would receive a ticket similar to what would happen if an officer pulled them over.
New York was one of the first cities in the country to implement a thousand similar cameras and have them operate all day. Friedman wants to use the same type of technology in California and claims it would be non-intrusive as well as safe.
"The way that these cameras work is that they recognize the license plate of vehicles," said Friedman. "There's no facial recognition used in this proposal. It's only the car that's recognized. It goes to the car just like a parking ticket. It's a nominal fee as opposed to the hundreds of dollars you could get for a speeding ticket that's given to you by an officer."
For severely injured victims of speeding drivers like Mora, the cameras sound like a step in the right direction.
"I think that would be helpful for the community in case there's another accident like mine — or any other accident that happens," said Mora.
The bill has its next hearing on April 17. KCAL News reached out to a spokesperson for Republican state lawmakers who said their caucus has not taken a position on the bill.
